Anti-Sharia law makes its way through the Florida legislature

Florida Senator Don Gaetz. Will he hold or will he fold?Photo credit libertycrier.com

In a re-run from last year, the Florida House Judiciary Committee gave its approval Thursday to HB 351, the “Application of Foreign Law in Certain Cases,” according to the Florida House website. The bill’s proponents simply call it the “Anti-Sharia Law.”

The vote followed the Civil Justice subcommittee’s approval earlier this month.

Last year, a similar measure was proposed in the Florida Legislature. It made it through all the required House and Senate committees and received overwhelming approval from the House, but it died in the Senate, where it never came up for a floor vote.

Last year’s legislation, like this year’s proposal, didn’t mention the word “Sharia.” Nonetheless, the Council on American-Islamic Relations and other pro-Muslim groups campaigned relentlessly against its passage.

Whether that pressure or some other unknown reason was at play, then-Senate President Mike Haridopolos allowed the bill to die.

Haridopolos no longer serves as Senate president. That position is now held by Don Gaetz.